©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Déjà vu all over again

I’m fond of Yogi Berra quotes [See the title of my inaugural editorial “The future ain’t what it used to be”]. The old weather beaten Yankee catcher’s paradoxical quips, if you think about them long enough, have a zen koan-like quality. If you think about them long enough, you’ll see the truth. Or go nuts trying.

It takes similar hard thinking to try to get a handle on the latest chapter in the bizarre saga of Chestnut Hill and the Philadelphia Department of Streets. For reasons that perhaps only Yogi Berra could explicate, the streets department (as the Philadelphia Department of Streets is often called) has decided to make the bridge that carries Willow Grove Avenue over Septa’s R8 regional rail tracks a one-way bridge. That is the bridge, which was wide enough to accommodate two vehicle lanes, ample shoulders and wide sidewalks across its span, will henceforth allow only a single lane for eastbound traffic. They’ve already done this, creating the single lane with concrete Jersey barriers and plastic, orange fencing. Already, reports have surfaced of vehicles crossing the bridge the wrong way: an accident waiting to happen.

To make things more interesting, they have decided to forgo repairs to the bridge and will, instead, seal off the sidewalks. And they told our writer Jennifer Katz that they intend to keep it that way. When Jenn asked them why, they couldn’t provide the answer.

Now, Chestnut Hillers who go back, oh, say 10 years, are already thinking it. That’s right. Remember the Germantown Avenue Bridge? As Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

A crash course on Germantown Avenue Bridge: The bridge that carried Germantown Avenue across the Wissahickon near Chestnut Hill College was discovered to have a cracked pier in 1993. The discovery led to the closing of the bridge and eventually traffic was allowed to travel but only in the southbound direction. Like the Wissahickon Avenue Bridge, the Germantown Avenue Bridge was restricted to one lane with Jersey barriers, and again, the reasoning was that the bridge was not safe enough to provide for two-way traffic.

What followed was a donnybrook of near neighbors, preservationists and streets engineers. Preservationists and near neighbors wanted a historically appropriate bridge. The streets department wanted a more contemporary (and therefore more budget friendly) structure. The two sides finally came to a compromise, but the deal wasn’t reached until 2000. When the bridge finally reopened, it was 2003, 10 years after the initial crack was discovered.

Willow Grove Avenue residents and those who use the bridge have good reason to be concerned. There are certainly some differences between the Germantown Avenue and Willow Grove Avenue bridges. The Germantown Avenue Bridge was much larger, was a legitimate historical structure and served a much busier roadway.

But the first signs aren’t good. A lengthy closing could happen again. The fact that the streets department is not forthcoming with a plan does not indicate a speedy repair and restoration of the bridge is likely.

It’s hard to believe the streets department is serious when it says the bridge will remain one way permanently (a big difference from indefinitely). But we should be prepared to believe that they are prepared to keep it closed for a long, long time.


Pete Mazzaccaro